Timer



l 4L. r Wmo@ l l am Aug. 2s, 1923.v y `1,466,392

f L. L. EVANS TIMER Filed Feb. 2, 1920 Patented Aug. l28, 1923.

UNITED STATE-s' PATENT homos.. l

LEWIS LLEWELLYN EVAN80I` BBIDGEPOBT, CONNE'CTICUT, ASSIGNOB 0F ONE-HALF4 T0 GERALD I. HART, 0F WILKES-BARBE, PENNSYLVANIA.

TIMER.

Anuman ma February 2, me. serial 1ro. saam.

To all 'wwm it may concern.:

citizen ofthe United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Timers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the inventlon, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. Thisjinvention relates generally to circuit controlling devices, and particularly to timers for internal .combustion `engines having a number of cylinders fired in succession.l

The principalV object of the invention is to provide a timer, the construction and a`rran ement of the contacts being such that a sltive and good engagement between them 1s assured and sparking is reduced to a l minimum.

Another object of the invention is to generallyV im rove upon devices of this character by tllie'provxsion of an extremely simple, strong, durable 'and inexpensive construction, one of which will be efiicient and reliable in operation, and well adapted to the purpose for which it is designed. i

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel` features of construction, and the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter :fully described and claimed.

In the accompan ing drawings in vwhich similar reference c aracters designate like parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a rear end view of a timer constructed in accordance withthis invention, part ofthe casing and one of the fixed contacts being in section to show the construction of the same. A l

Fig. 2 is a'transverse sectional view taken gn thle plane indicated by the line 2472 of Fi 3 is adetail sectional` view of one of the xed roller contacts. p

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of'one of the Vfixed roller contacts, and

F ig. 5 is asimilar view of the rotary con-- tact wheel or commutator. In the embodiment illustrated, `the .timer shaft of an internal combustion` en 'ne having a. number ofcylinders vinten edt'o Abev fired in succession 1s shown and indicated by the numeral 1. Fixedtorthe shaft 1 in order tolrotate with the same is a contact wheel or commutator which may be constructed in several ways, but which preferably consists of a metal hub portion'2 provided intermediate of its ends with a laterally extending flat lug or contact portion. This contact portion or lu 3 1s of less width than the diameter of t e hub portion 2, and has its free end curved and beveled from opposite sides into ,V-shape. Molded or otherwise formed around the hub portion 2 and contact portion 3 is a body 4 of bakelite orpother suitable insulating material.

This body 4 is Hat-and has its outer edge lthe wheel is smooth and continuous. -In vother words, there is no projection or depression on the periphery of the wheel at the junction of the edges of the contact portion 3 and the adjacent edges of the insulating body 4;

Any suitable means may be employed for this is referably done by viding one endv of t e hub portion 2 of t e latter with o posite notches 5 whichfreceive the ends el) a pin inserted transversely through said' shaft 1. Additional means, not shown, may be used in securin thmwheel to the shaft.

Disposed' aroun and enclosing the .contact wheel isv a casing 7 ,a ortion of ,which is of cylindrical shape. his casing 7 is supported in any suitable mannerl with its cylindrical rtion concentric to the wheel and is-provlded with a `radially extending lug 8 of usual construction intended to be so connected that the spark can be advanced or retarded as willl be understood. As the 1 with a lining 9 of insulating material. The

walls of this cylindrical portion are providedY with a. number of equally spaced openings havingA disposed therem insulating bushings 10, the outer ends of which .are enlarged and disposed on the exterior aiiing the contact wheel to the shaft'l, but

.los

25 rollers 16 are provided wit 45 gagement of these of the casing and in contact with the outer side thereof. Extending throu h apertures arranged in the bushings 10 rom the 1nside of the casing,4are bolts 11. Upon the ends of `these bolts 11 are threaded nuts 12. The bolts 11I and nuts 12 act in the capacity of binding osts to which the wires leading to the sparc plugs of the various` cylinders of the engine are intended to be connected.

As shown, the heads of the bolts 11 are disposed upon the interipr of the casing and clamped between said heads and the insulat. ing lining 9 are resilient arcuate arms 13.

15 These arms 13 curve inwardly away from the interior of the casing and have their free ends provided with spaced parallel ears 14.` Fastened vto the ears 14 and extending between the )same are short axles vor sha sections l5 upon which are revolubly mountthe V-shaped 'faces ofthe periphery of the wheel.

In operation, the timer shaft is rotated so as to rotate the contact wheel and cause the contact portion 3 to successivel engage the $5 rollers 16, thereby Aclosing the clrcuits to the various spark plugs of the engine in succession, the current passing through the shaft 1, hub portion 2, contact portion 3, and in succession the rollers 16, shaft sections 15,

ears 14, arms 13, and terminalmembers 11-.

It is obvious that by constructing the colitact wheel with va V-shaped periphery and forming V-shaped grooves or'ichannels in the,A contact rollers a positive `and good enarts will be assured. It is also to be noted) that b reason of the fact that the periphery ofy the wheel is smooth. and continuous especially at the junction of the contact portion in the insulating body, sparking in making andbreak ing the electrical'contact is reduced to a. minimum. Any irregularity in running, especially any slight longitudinal shifting of the timer shaft 1 and the contact wheel 1s compensated for bythe slight longitudinal shifting of ythe rollers. This assures that the engagement'of the rollers withrthe pe ripheryof the wheel is good at all times. In removing the casing 7 and replacing the same, the rollers will yield so as to allow disengaged or en-y the contact wheel to be ga by the same. v

ftdwill be apparent that the coacting V- shaped peripheries of the contact rollers and wheel will retainv the wheel centered in the casing,vboth when the timers are on their y timer shafts and when they are separate therefrom. In view of the fact that a numno separate or disconnected parts which may become lost, the importance of the preceding statement will be evident.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, use and operation of the invention will be readily understood without a more extended explanation.

Various changes in form, proportion, and in the minor details of construction may be resorted to without vdeparting from the spirit of the invention as defined in the claims.

' What is claimed is:

1. A device of the character described, comprising a casing having an open end adapted to be mounted against an engine, a timer shaft extending into said casing and spaced from the ,Wall thereof, a conducting member fixed upon'the timer shaft to rotate .f therewith, contact members upon said casing, the conducting member and contact members being adapted to have interlocking engagement, and means for allowing the location of engagement of said conducting member with said contact members to shift in said casing in a direction parallel with ,the direction of length of said timer shaft,

whereby any longitudinal shifting of said timer shaft and casing relatively to eac-h other can be compensated for by a corresponding shifting ofsaid location of engagement.

2. A device of the character described,

comprising a casing having an open end adapted to be mounted against an engine, timer shaft extending into said casing and spaced from the wall thereof, a wheel fixedl'y mounted upon said timer shaft, said wheel having a V-shaped peri hery and a conducting portion extending fiom the periphery to-,its hub, contact arms u n said casing, spaced ears formed at the ree ends of said arms, and roller contacts'rotatably mounted between said ears to have limited movement in a direction Vparallel.Wfhuthe direction of length of said timer shaft, saidL roller contacts provided with V-shapedperipheries ada ted to engage the corresponding V-'shape periphery of said wheel, whereby any longitudinal shifting of said timer shaft and wheel can be compensated for ,by a slight shifting of said roller contacts between said ears.'

y In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

' LEWIS LLEWELLYN EVANS. 

